Somatic Therapy
Healing The Mind & Body Together
What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to healing that focuses on the connection between the mind and the nervous system. It recognizes that experiences, especially stress and trauma, are not only stored in thoughts, but also in the body.
Rather than relying only on talking, this approach gently brings awareness to physical sensations, patterns of tension, and the ways your body responds to different experiences.
This work often overlaps with practices like trauma-informed yoga, where movement, breath, and choice-based awareness support a deeper connection to the body in a way that feels safe and accessible.
How can somatic therapy help?
Somatic therapy supports the nervous system in moving out of states of overwhelm, shutdown, or constant activation. As a result, this can reduce physical tension, increase emotional awareness, and create a greater sense of grounding.
This approach can be especially helpful for overwhelming stress and emotional swings, particularly when those experiences feel difficult to shift through thinking alone.
It also integrates naturally with trauma therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS), supporting both the body and the internal emotional landscape.
Over time, many people begin to feel more regulated, more present, and more able to respond to life with greater steadiness.
What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy works with the connection between your nervous system and your body. Instead of only talking about what you’re feeling, it helps you notice and work with physical sensation directly, since trauma and stress often live in the body long after the story has been told.
What is trauma-informed yoga, and is it different from a regular yoga class?
Yes, meaningfully. Trauma-informed yoga prioritizes choice and safety over performance. There’s no expectation to get a shape right or push your body further than feels good. Every movement is offered as an invitation, and you’re always in control of what you do and don’t try.
Do I need yoga experience to start?
Not at all. Most people who come to this work have little or no yoga background. The practice is built for all bodies and adapts to whatever yours can offer that day.
How does somatic work help with anxiety or overwhelm?
When your nervous system is stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or faint, talking alone doesn’t always reach it. Somatic tools, like breath, gentle movement, and body awareness, help regulate the nervous system directly, which can create more lasting calm than insight alone.
Can somatic therapy be combined with EMDR or IFS therapy?
Yes, and often it works best that way. Body-based awareness frequently supports and deepens EMDR and IFS therapy, helping the nervous system settle enough for other processing to happen and parts of you to feel heard.